Alejandro and the Land of Acacia

Nautical Gift

Once upon a cloudy and steamy afternoon a young boy of about ten years of age was playing outside in his backyard.

His name is Alejandro and his yard was huge!

So huge in fact that if he wanted to start his own baseball team they could play there and still have room for a hundred people to sit and watch.

Alejandro, the young boy, decided to play Pirates and Treasures on this particular sticky, no wind blowing kind of day.

This would be the perfect game on a day that looked like it was going to rain. The clouds we're a dark gray with sounds of thunder clapping from somewhere in the distance. The air was so still and sticky hot that no tree or grass blade swayed and lightening danced from cloud to cloud.

"Ahoy matey!" Alejandro growled, "I see the land of Acacia! Make way for the shore ScrappyBear!"

ScrappyBear was the boy's best friend who just so happened to be a rottweiler with shepherd mix. He came up to Alejandro's ribs when standing on all four of his massive paws and his floppy ears were always standing at attention, ready for a command from Alejandro.

ScrappyBear came into Alejandro's life as a gift from Grandpa Guillermo when ScrappyBear was just a tiny pup. So tiny, in fact, that he hadn't developed his snout yet! This taught Alejandro how to feed ScrappyBear with a baby bottle for puppies. Since then the two were inseparable.

"The treasure is somewhere on that island, ScrappyBear, I can feel it in me bones!" Alejandro shouted with excitement.

With a dutiful and obedient bark ScrappyBear pulled on the helm of the ship to make way toward Acacia.

As he did so, the clouds could no longer hold the rain. With great fierceness, large cold droplets of water pounded the ship leaving Alejandro and ScrappyBear chilled to their very bones.

"Alejandro, come inside, your Grandpa's here!" yelled Alejandro's mom Frannie from the back porch.

"Hola Grandpa Guillermo, what are you doing here?" Alejandro asked with much curiosity, "I thought you and Grandma would be here two days ago."

Alejandro always enjoyed Grandpa Guillermo's visits. Not only was grandpa a practical joker but he always came over with some kind of gift for Alejandro. His last gift from Grandpa Guillermo was definitely not one that he would soon forget. It was a shrunken head tucked away in a shoe box.

Frannie immediately put the shrunken head and shoe box in a closet down in the basement that was rarely opened except on lawn mowing days. These are the days when dad was cornered by mom to trim the huge yard. Dad, Luis, usually finished the yard work with his hands covered in band aids to cover his many nicks and cuts to his hands.

Grandpa Guillermo smiled at watching his grandson come running up to the back porch with his loyal companion ScrappyBear leading the way.

"Hola Alex, I came by to give you your gift before grandma and I head home from our trip into Spain."

Grandpa Guillermo reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a glass soda bottle with a detailed replica of a pirate ship tucked away inside.

"Grandpa Guillermo, I love it!" screeched Alejandro with a twinkle of adventure in his voice.

"Good, I knew you would seeing how you are always playing pirates in the backyard," said Grandpa Guillermo with love for his grandson, "now, I'm off to pick up your grandma from your Aunt Rose's house. Grandma bought her a porcelain doll with an umbrella and matching raincoat. Grandma Rose sends her love to You all."

"Bye dad, tell mom that we are glad You two made it home safe." Frannie said as she gave Grandpa Guillermo a hug and gentle kiss on his cheek.

"One more thing Alejandro," Grandpa said as he turned around from the front door to face his grandson, "the ship in a bottle you are holding, take excellent care of it. The man who sold it to me says it is a one of kind."

"Okay Grandpa Guillermo, I will take great care of the ship. It is my very own treasure!" Alex said proudly as Grandpa satisfactorily closed the front door behind him.

"Mom, can I please go outside and play pirates and treasures? Pleeeease?" Alejandro asked with desperate brown eyes.

"Alejandro, it's raining now, so if you agree to put your raincoat on..."

"Awww! Mom, please not that ugly orange raincoat!"

"Alejandro, that orange raincoat belonged to Your great great Grandpa Lorenzo," began Frannie, "He stayed safe and dry in that raincoat and so did your other granddads. So, it's your choice, put the raincoat on and you can play outside or don't put it on and play in your room." Frannie said with a stern note in her voice.

Alejandro knew that if he wanted to play pirates and treasures he would have to put the bright ugly orange raincoat on.

"Do I have to put the hat on too?" Alejandro asked; already knowing the answer.

"Yes;" Frannie said, "so what is your choice son?"

"I say, okay, I'll put on the raincoat." Alejandro said with a sigh.

"Good choice," Frannie said with a secret smile that her son would think logically about playing in the rain.

"I love You, son, I don't want to see you catch a cold."

"Yes ma'am." Alejandro said as he headed with heavy feet into his room to get the ugly bright orange raincoat, with its many secret pockets, from his closet.

As Alejandro opened his closet door for the raincoat he decided that he didn't want to leave his great pirate ship in a soda bottle behind. So instead he put it carefully inside a deep pocket that was sewn in by Grandma Onyda just before Grandpa and her left for Spain.

After carefully placing the pirate ship in its glass soda bottle into his never ending deep breast coat pocket, Alejandro cheerily raced into the kitchen where he found ScrappyBear drinking from his water bowel. Then the two close friends headed out the back door to continue their pirate adventure in the rain.

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hello Reader!!

What do you think of the story so far?

What are your thoughts about Grandpa Guillermo and his interesting gifts to Alejandro?

Would you wear a bright orange raincoat with its many secret pockets? And if so what would you put in it?

Feel free to comment and by all means vote !

see You out at Sea,

chestNut'cracked 🐢